Void Periods: Why They Happen and How Landlords Can Cut Them Down

Every landlord loses a bit of income to void periods at some point. The question isn't whether you'll have one, it's whether it lasts two weeks or two months. And the gap between those two outcomes usually comes down to decisions made well before the property is even empty.

We work with landlords who assume voids are just bad luck. Sometimes they are. More often, though, there's a specific reason a property sat empty longer than it needed to, and it's usually something that was fixable.

Here's what actually drives void periods, and what you can do about it.

Notice periods are shorter than most landlords plan for

When a tenant hands in their notice, the clock starts immediately, but a lot of landlords don't start marketing until the tenant has actually moved out. That's often four to eight weeks of dead time you didn't need to lose.

If a tenant gives notice and the property is in reasonable condition, there's no reason not to start marketing straight away, arranging viewings around the current tenant if they're willing, which most are if you ask properly and give them fair notice. Landlords who wait until the keys are back in hand are choosing to add weeks onto their void, not because the market demands it, but because of timing they controlled.

Turnaround work gets underestimated every time

Repainting, deep cleaning, fixing the things a tenant mentioned six months ago and you meant to get round to. All of this takes longer than landlords expect, and it's rarely booked in advance. The result is a property that's technically empty and ready to let, except it isn't, because there's a two week wait for a decorator or an electrician.

If you know a tenancy is ending, get quotes and book tradespeople before the property is empty, not after. A week of overlap between the old tenant leaving and the new one moving in costs you far less than a fortnight waiting for a painter to become available.

Pricing it wrong costs more than pricing it right

This one catches out experienced landlords as much as new ones. List slightly too high and the property sits, and every week it sits, prospective tenants start wondering what's wrong with it, so you end up dropping the price anyway, except now from a position of visible desperation rather than a considered decision.

It's worth checking what's actually let recently in your area and not what's currently listed, because asking prices and achieved prices are often different things. A property priced correctly from day one, even if that price is slightly lower than you hoped, will usually let faster and for close to that figure. A property priced too high for three weeks before being reduced often ends up letting for less than if it had been priced right from the start.

The condition of the property affects speed, not just rent

A tired looking property doesn't just achieve less rent, it takes longer to let full stop, because tenants viewing multiple properties will move fast on the one that feels ready to move into and slower on the one that needs work imagined onto it. Fresh paint, a thorough clean and small fixes done properly make a bigger difference to how quickly a property lets than most landlords credit.

What to do next

If you've got a tenant giving notice, treat the day you hear about it as day one of your marketing plan, not the day they move out. Get tradespeople booked in advance if any work is needed, check what's genuinely let recently rather than what's listed, and be honest with yourself about the property's condition before you put a price on it.

None of this guarantees zero void periods, but it consistently turns eight week gaps into two week ones, and over a year that difference is real money back in your pocket.

We'd love to have a chat with you about how the new legislation will affect your decisions and investment properties going forward.